Public advised to apply for passports early

People in Jersey are being advised to apply for passports early as waiting times during the summer holiday season can take up to six weeks.

 

Each year the Passport Office deals with people who have forgotten to check their passport is valid before they travel. At present, the wait for a new passport is four to five weeks but this may increase as numbers rushing to renew a passport at the last minute start to build.

 

People who renew their passport before it expires will have their new passport credited with the time remaining on it - up to a maximum of nine months.  

 

From September 2012 the fee for applying for an adult passport reduced by £5 to £72.50. The cost of a child’s passport also decreased to £46.

 

People applying for a passport last minute may also have to pay an extra £38.50 to get their passport in time for travel.

 

Customs and Immigration Service assistant director Andrew Hunt said “We employ additional staff during the summer months to meet the extra demand from our customers. However very often people forget to check that their passport is valid until the last minute and this means that they have to call upon us to issue their passport urgently, at extra cost, as well as risking missing out on their holiday. We are therefore issuing a seasonal reminder to people to plan ahead and lodge their passport applications at least six weeks in advance of their journey. 

 

"We would encourage Islanders travelling this summer to check their passports now. If a passport is due to expire within the next nine months then please complete an application form and lodge it with us as soon as possible. Applying early will help us to ensure that customers receive their passport in good time without having to pay extra.”